The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1887-07-16

: The American Watch Company seem
determined to maintain the proud posi-
ton they have long occupied among
manufacturers Of pocket timepjeces.
During an interview the other day with
a representative of Robbins & Apple
ton, he said: I'VE have . number Of
novelties that ought to be worthy Of
Your attention. and in fact of the trade
In general. During the year 1886. we
have had steadily -increasing demand
tor our better class of goods. This is
owing to the very great improvements
which have therein been accomplished.
For instance, all tho watches fitted with
our patent Breguet hair-spring have
met with special favor. because of the
great amount Of extra quality which
this hair-spring imparts to the goods.
The company seem to have pursued
the policy Of not increasing the guam
dty of their lowest priced goods, but
rather Of putting the better and
medium grades at figures which
bring them within the resch Of
a very limited purse. and en-
able dealers with very limited capital
to lay in an assorted stock of good
quality goods Of great popularity.
The B artlett watch may be taken as an
example. Here Is movement equipped
with all that can possibly be put into
watch to make it = thorough time
keeper. and its price is fabulously low.
An English matchmaker recently took
one Of these Bartlett movements of the
new model examined it carefully, and
quietly put it together with the remark:
This movement is worth e. Yet 1t
is sold for nearly as many dollars.
I'VE have turned out some very fine
work in the way of identifying the APP
pearance Of the watch. both in nickel
frosting and raging. which never had
been done before. These processes
permit an almost endless variety Of de-
signs and patterns which adapt them
selves beautifully to tho shape of the
watch-plate.
THE chief novelty with which the
company start out this year is their one
size wstch-the smallest and thinnest,
as well as the finest, ladies' watch ever
made in this country. The diameter
ofits dial is Just the size of half dollar
piece. The train is made of gold; the
jewel-settings likewise; and the jewels
themselves are faultless fubies Of the
darkest color. The watch Is thorough
ly adjusted. and capable of the very
finest time-keeping. Its price is very
moderate -indeed, considering the ex-
ira fine quality and superior finish. It is
wonderfully low.
Another novelty is the .WalthaIn
Minute Register Chronograph.' This
watch is so constructed 40 to show by
means of q diminutive dial-bit and
special hand the minutes during which
the long hand revolves. J"
Here my informant exhibited the oper-
alton Of the chronograph. The long
fifth-second hand and the small special
hand arc normally stationary at IL, or
zero. By pressing the stem, both hands
are started. the small hand recording
successive minutes up to fifteen At
any moment both hands may be
stopped. and another motion sends
them back to zero. This device is
especially useful to sportsmen, scien-
fists. physicians, engineers, machinists.
etc. The same attachment is applied
to the Waltham split seconds chrome
graph, making it the most durable
watch of the kind. inasmuch as the
mechanism is very simple and almost
indestructible. The Waltham chrome
graph is made in the first place to be
an accurate time keeper, built on the
model Of the company's finest 14-size
watch. On top Of this movement and
without compllcating it, the chrome
graph attachment is fastened, thus
clearly exposing to view the entire
chronograph apparatus. The plainest
country matchmaker can take the at.
tachment apart and set it together
again without trouble A Swiss watch
maker recently remarked that nobody
would have dreamed ten years ago that
the Americans would ever be able to
make any so-called complicated time.
keepers, and that they really do moi
make them; but they obtained watches
that had the most exact and minute
time-keeping on . much simpler con
struction. As consequence, the Amer
lean watch is moro reliable. less costly
to produce, and certainly without ex
pense to keep in thorough-going order.
The company have added several
grades Of six size watches to their list,
which they will be able to put on the
markst in the neighborhooa Of Marcel
1. This will make eight different quail.
tiles Of six-size movements which,
with the various cases-hunting and
open-face, gold. silver and aluminine-
with an almost endless variety Of
ladies' watches, affords arrange Of choice
from the cheapest limit 1t which gold
watch may beexpected to the diamond
studded watch for the millionaire's wife.
During the year 1886 we have addsi
two new grades Of sixteen-size watches,
which really make that part Of the -
sortment surprising one Sixteen